The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-10-08
A FORTNIGHT AMONG THE
IRISH.
BY MRS. CAROLINE A. soULE.
XL.-CoNCLUDED.

VI.-CoNcLUDED.
The remaining days of the week, alas
how quickly they went-my bright beau
tiful holidays- we're divided between
the Moss and visiting. My mornings l
spent alone out of doors, now wandering
through the heather which was daily be-
coming more beautiful; now sitting on
the peat and just drinking in the air and
the sunshine and the beauty. The after
moons were given up to visiting, for one
cannot resist the hospitality of these
peasants The story Of one visit will do
for all as they did not vary much. We
we're expected to arrive at two. The cab
in had only one room, with the mud
floor hardened into adamant. Some OF
the cabins had two rooms, the inner one
with wood floor; but no carpet ever ex-
cept once, when "the room"was upstairs.
This cabin was exceptionally sweet and
clean and showed great taste on the part
of it's mistress, woman Of about thirty
five. The two beds we're covered with
pretty patchwork quilts, the work on
them as elaborate as those my grand
mother used to keep for company use.
The pillow. cases were daintily ruffled,
the curtains snow white, with trimmings
of hand knit la,e. There we're flowers
everywhere, on the mautel, under the
clock stand, and on many curious little
brackets. The furniture was rude, but
secured to Dutch Wilderness. The peat
fire glowed, but the cooking was done
outside in a neighbours cabin, to keep
away the smell and the heat.
What particularly interested me was
the table, for / had not expected to find
in an Irish cabin, such beautiful table.
The coarse cloth was ironed to slippery
smoothness, and had been folded 30 as to
reveal all sorts of squares and triangles
when unfolded. In the center was vase
of flowers, and around it was a reath
made by laying fern leaves on the cloth.
and decorating the fresh green with
white and crimson roses. 1t recalled a
dinner table to which 1 once sat down
in Melrose Highlands, where the orna
mentation was exactly the same! /
wondered where she, this mistress, had
caught the idea, and found out after a
little. A young woman who was help
ing her, a cousin, bride whose honey
moon was not yet over, had lived for
four years with the rector as kitchen
maid, and she had learned much during
this time of service, and che had design
ed this pretty way of dressing the table
Curious to learn the wages Of the peo-
pie in Ireland embraced this chance to
find ont what domestic servants received,
and brought it about by saying, "Was
your pay male weekly or monthly?' 80
we we're paid by the quarter" she said
Two pounds quarter" eight pounds
a year." said I. "Yes," she replied, "eight
pounds" sand was the work hardP
eyes, though the reetor's wife is a good
mistress and the rector a good master
But 1 had all the cooking to do for a fam
lily of eight and much company. And
hal dairy of seven COWS, and the poul-
try to attend to, and the young pigs to
look after" "And the washing2" "Oh, no.
the washing is all given out" And
learned afterward that the washing was
all done by the wife of the old man who
did not mary until he was fifty; the
mother indeed of my hostess for the
afternoon. Eight pounds a yearl Forty
dollsrsl How many Irish cooks and
dairymaids in the U. s. A. would work
for forty dollars per annum nowl though